January is “Divorce Month” in California

To most people, January is usually the month where we start to work on our New Year’s resolutions, kicking bad habits and reinventing ourselves. But, over the last few years, it has been gaining popularity as the divorce month in California. Why is this the case?

January and divorces trends

In 2016, researchers from the University of Washington conducted a study to see if there was statistical evidence to prove that January was indeed the divorce month. They looked at divorce filings from 2001 to 2015 and compared the rates for each month. Unsurprisingly, they found what was believed to be true — of all months, marriage dissolution rose steadily in January and peaked in March.

In addition, according to Google Trends, many people searched about divorce in January than in any other month. The same was seen in Pinterest searches and other online platforms.

Why is this the case?

When people face the holiday seasons, they tend to have high expectations of their life despite the problems they may have been facing. They want to have a good time with their families, constantly looking for new opportunities as they expect to transition into the New Year. Others just put off their issues as they go through the chaos and stress of the holiday season.

When this time is over, and the pressure is off, reality hits you again. If you had problems in your marriage that you were putting off, it comes back again even harder because you can’t imagine starting a New Year going through the same issues again. The desire to start over a new leaf often results in a high January divorce rate.

For other people, financial concerns can play a part in increased divorce in January. If you have money problems in your marriage, expensive travel arrangements and holiday spending can worsen the situation. And pushing a divorce to January seems to be a good idea because the previous year’s taxes won’t impact you.

As much as January has gained popularity as the divorce month, it is not a good idea to stay in a toxic marriage just waiting for the holidays to be over to free yourself. If your union is taking a toll on you, any month is the right time to get a divorce.